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Guest column: They're your parks

By Bob Yates

Posted:
10/20/2012 01:00:00 AM MDT

Over the next few weeks, Boulder residents will have two opportunities to determine the future of its parks and its recreation programs. On Nov. 6, Boulder voters will decide whether the 0.25 percent sales tax approved by taxpayers in 1995 should be extended for another 20 years, with the proceeds used to develop city parks and support recreational programs. If Ballot Issue 2B is passed, taxes will not increase but more than $2 million in annual revenue from the existing sales tax will continue to support parks and recreation through 2035.

However, even before Election Day, the Boulder community will have the opportunity to express views on parks and recreation priorities for the rest of the decade. On Oct. 24, 25, and 27, the Parks and Recreation Department and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board will host public meetings to take input on a new Parks and Recreation Master Plan that will be presented to City Council for adoption next year. The Master Plan, which is generally revised every five to seven years, is a roadmap for the city's development and management of its parks and its provision of recreation programs and services. What next year's Master Plan says will guide the kind of parks Boulder will have and the recreation services Boulder will receive for the remainder of this decade.

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In short, it's a pretty important document and you should have a say in it.

Here is a sampling of some of the questions we need your help answering: Does Boulder need more parks, or should we more thoroughly develop the ones we already have? Does Boulder need more ball fields and, if so, where should they go and which sports should they support? Are we offering the right number and diversity of recreational programs? Are there programs we don't offer that we should? Are there programs that we offer that we should let the private sector handle? Are we charging too much or too little for our programs? Should there be program fee discounts for Boulder residents? If so, should discounts apply to people who work in Boulder but don't live here? Should some programs be subsidized with taxpayer dollars? Should our program emphasis be on youth or on seniors? What segments of the community are we failing to serve?

In a city nationally ranked among the healthiest, happiest, most active, and least obese, it is not surprising that Boulder loves its parks, its pools, its rec centers, and its recreational programs. Last year, 50,000 people (and 1,500 dogs) swam in our pools, 15,000 competed on our sports fields, 300,000 enjoyed the Boulder Reservoir, 400,000 worked out at our rec centers, and more than 40,000 rounds were played at our golf course. More than 20,000 people were served by recreational programs as diverse as learning to swim, gymnastics, yoga, pottery lab, and developing first aid skills. We operate and maintain three rec centers, 100 parks and public spaces, 41 playgrounds, 100 ball courts, and 236 miles of paths and trails. Fully 10 percent of the city's budget--more than $25 million--is dedicated to parks and recreation, keeping Boulder fit, engaged, happy and healthy.

Now it's your turn to tell us what we're doing right and what we should change. Boulder residents own the parks and those who live and come here are the customers of our recreation services. Please tell us what you want so that we can make sure that the Master Plan we write reflects our community values. You can express your views on the Master Plan by attending any of these three public input sessions:

If you can't make it to any of these meetings, please take ten minutes to complete the online survey found at http://boulder.parksandrecplan.org. And, of course, you are always welcome to speak at the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meetings, which are typically held on the fourth Monday of each month at 6 p.m., usually in City Council Chambers (check the city's website to confirm time and location). With your help, the new Master Plan will be a roadmap for the parks and the recreation programs that the Boulder community wants and deserves.

Bob Yates is the chairman of Boulder's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

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